Little Falls transcript., 1887-05-13
Tho Y Victims Of CT circumstances,
SERVED ID. Is. Records u old rrial..
BYswrLKIE COLLINS.

Derived no. TIE Records u Old Trials. q.
S$3 BYwrLKIE COLLINS.
Parson Tibbald, a Magistrate living
within 9 days ride Of the ancient city
Of York, SURPRISED the members Of his
family, one morning, by presenting
himself at breakfast without an appe.
tite. Upon his wife asking him if the
dishes on the table were not to his
taste, he answered, "My days work
is not tc my taste. For the first time
since I have been one OF his majesty's
justices, q charge of murder is coming
before me, and the man accused is one
Of our neighbors." &s.. s>>i sslsrs q.
The person in this miserable plight
was Thomas Harris, an inn-keeper,
charged with numbering James Gray,
a traveller sleeping in his house
The witnesses against him were his
own servants: Elias Morgan, various
t%ly employed as waiter, hostler and
gardener; and Maria Mackling, cham.
sber-maid. VI
In his evidence against his master,
Morgan declared that he had seen
Thomas Harris on the travellers bed,
killing the man by strangling, In fear
OF what might happen if he remained
in the room, Morgan feigne1 to go
downstairs. Returning secretly, he
looked through the keyhole of door
in an adjoining bed-chamber, and saw
the landlord riAing James Gray's
pockets. j -
Harris answered to this, that all
his neighbors knew him to be an hon
est man. He had found Grey in fit,
and had endeavored to restore him
to his senses without success. The
doctor who had examined the body
supported this assertion by declaring
that he had found no marks of vio-
lence on the dead traveller. In the
opinion OF the magistrate, the case
againts Harris had now broken down,
and the prisoner would have been
discharged, but for the appearance OF
the maid-servant asking to be sworn.
Maria Mackling then made the
statement that follows:
"On the morning when my fellow
servant found Mr.. Harris throttling
James Gray, / was IN the back wash
house, which looks out on the garden,
and wondered what he wanted there
at that early hour. watched him.
He was within few yards of the win
dow, when saw him take a handful of
gold pieces out OF his pocket, and wrap
them up in something that looked
like a bit of canvas. After that, he
went on to q tree in CORNER of the
garden, and dug hole under the tree
and hid the money in it. Send the
constable with me to the garden, and
let him see if l have not spoken the
truth"
But good Parson Tibbald waiced
awhile to give his neighbor an oppor-
tunity OF answering the maid servant.
Thomas Harris startled every
body present by turning pale,
and failing to defend himself in
telligibly against the serious state.
ment made by the girl. The con-
stable was accordingly sent to the gar
den with Maria Mackling-and there,
under the tree, the gold pieces were
found. After this the magistrate had
but one alternative left. He commit
ted the prisoner for trial at the next
assizes.
The witnesses having repeated their
evidence before the Judge and the jury,
Thomas Harris was asked what he
had to say in his own defence.
In those days the merciless law did
not allow prisoners to have the assist
ance OF counsel. Harris was left to
do his best for himself. During his
confinement in prison, he found time
to compose his mind, and to consider
beforehand how he might most ftly
plead his own cause. After O. solemn
assertion of his innocence, he proceed
ed in these words:
"At my examination before the
magistrate, my maid-servant's evi-
dence took me by surprise I was
ashamed to acknowledge what I am
now resolved to confess. My lord, I
am by nature a covetous man. fond
OF money, afraid of thieves, and sus-
picious OF people about me VINO know
that I am well-to-do in the world. !
admit that l did what other miserly
men have done before me: hid the
gold as the girl has said. But !
buried it in secret for my own better
security. Every farthing of that m on
ey is my property, and has been hon
estly come by"
Such was the defence in substance.
Having heard it, the judge summed up
the case.
His lordship dwelt particularly on
the circumstances of the hiding of the
money; pointing out the weakness OF
the reasons assigned by the
prisoner for his conduct, and leav-
ing it to the jury to decide which
they believed-the statement given in
evidence by the witnesses, or the state.
ment made by Harris. The jury ap-
peared to think consultation among
themselves, in this case, a mere waste
! OF time. In two minutes they found
the prisoner guilty Of the murder OF
James Gray
In these days, il a man had been
! judicially condemned to death on
doubtful evidence, after two minutes
Of consideration, our parliament and
our press would have saved his life.
In the bad old times Thomas Harris
was hanged; meeting his fate with firm
ness, and declaring his innocence with
his last breath. .,.;.
\. Between five and six months after
4 the date OF the execution, an English
man who had been employed in for
seign military service returned to his
own country, after an absence OF
twelve years, and set himself to dis.
cover the members OF his family who